Police: Kayaker shot himself, twice

WASHINGTON – Police believe that a man who was shot while kayaking in April fired the gun himself and shot himself a second time as police arrived at his Fairfax County home last week.

The story 56-year-old Daniel Seafolk-Kopp told police scared many who paddle the waters of Bodkin Creek in Anne Arundel County. He told investigators on April 13 that he was stargazing when he saw a laser dot on his chest, saw a flash on the shore, heard a shot, suddenly feeling searing pain in his chest.

“There was numerous things that led us to believe he was telling us the truth at the time,” says Sgt. Brian Albert, with the Maryland Natural Resources Police.

But investigators found gun powder residue on Seafolk-Kopp’s hand, the first crack in his story, Albert says.

So Maryland investigators contacted Fairfax County police, who went to Seafolk-Kopp’s home in Reston armed with a search warrant Thursday to look for a gun that matches a bullet recovered in April, Albert says.

When detectives arrived, Seafolk-Kopp answered the door suffering from another gunshot wound. He remained in the hospital Monday, Albert says.

Police say they don’t believe the initial shooting was a suicide attempt and they don’t know what prompted the second, self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The investigation continues and police hope to interview Seafolk-Kopp again. They found several guns that the injured man could have used and are awaiting ballistics test results, Albert says.

Albert says boaters should feel safe using Bodkin Creek again.

“We don’t think there’s any threat to the community at this point,” he says.